The mock-up of the ASEAN Forest Wall exhibit was jointly organised by the ASEAN Secretariat and the ACB in partnership with Metro Pacific Investments Corporation at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.
Five years after its first participation in Dubai, the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) will return to showcase the region’s rich biodiversity at the world’s grandest international exhibition, the World Expo.
This year, the international community will gather on the man-made island of Yumeshima in Osaka, Kansai, Japan, from 13 April to 13 October. With the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” World Expo 2025 offers a platform for 8 billion people from around the world to view different exhibits. This year’s Expo is predicted to draw in about 28 million visitors. It is also an opportunity to be part of the discussion on co-creating our future society. It also brings together the world’s knowledge, such as cutting-edge technology, to create and share new ideas to help resolve global issues facing humankind.
The site of the World Expo 2025 is spread across 155.6 hectares. Architect Sou Fujimoto, who created the master plan, designed it. It is divided into three sections: Green World, Pavilion World, and Water World.
The ASEAN Pavilion
In partnership with the ASEAN Secretariat and with support from the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, the ACB is setting up the ASEAN Forests Wall at the ASEAN Pavillion. This interactive display highlights the importance of ASEAN’s forests in maintaining ecological balance and supporting livelihoods.
According to the Acting Executive Director of the ACB, Clarissa C. Arida, “Forests are more than just a collection of tree species. They are vibrant ecosystems that offer an array of services that are vital for the survival of life on earth.”
Forests are said to be home to 80 per cent of the world’s plants and animals. It is also the source of valuable raw materials for food and nutrition, freshwater, energy, pharmaceuticals, and other industries. In 2020, forests are estimated to cover over 2 million square kilometres or nearly half of the ASEAN region. However, the region’s forest cover has declined significantly in recent decades due to pressure to support continuous economic growth, the rising demand for forest and non-timber forest products, and various human activities like agriculture, logging, mining, and hunting.
“It is a must to consider our forests, and biodiversity in general, in our efforts to co-create our future society,” Acting Executive Director Arida adds. “By recognising the immense importance of our natural wealth, we can work together in developing innovative and actionable solutions to the challenge of laying out the groundwork for a balanced, sustainable future where we all live in harmony with nature,” she concludes.
One of the features of the ASEAN Forests Wall is the virtual tour of Mount Kitanglad Range Natural Park, an ASEAN Heritage Park located in Bukidnon, Philippines. Equipped with motion sensors, the virtual tour offers a gamified experience of casually strolling the lush mountains while encountering and learning about various plant and animal species, their habits, features, and the important roles they play in our ecosystems. The exhibit will also include the ASEAN Biodiversity Wish Tree, where visitors can pen their hopes for ASEAN biodiversity on colourful papers and hang them on the tree. This feature is inspired by Tanabata–a celebration of wishes across the Milky Way. As part of this summer festivity, people write their heart’s desires on a coloured paper called tanzaku and hang them up on bamboo.
Director for Community Affairs of the ASEAN Secretariat Lee Yoong Yoong welcomed the ACB’s content contribution to enrich the presentation and overall experience for the visitors to the ASEAN Pavilion. He recalled that the ACB has also been forthcoming in showcasing support to the ASEAN Pavilion in its last participation at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai, UAE.
Director Yoong also considers the “ASEAN Forest” virtual reality platform to be one of the highlights of the pavilion as it offers a cybernetic tour of the respective natural spectacles within Southeast Asia.
The ACB will also participate in various events and discussions during the World Expo, focusing on biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and regional cooperation.
The list of World Expo 2025 activities may be found here.
